Less stress during childbirth

Nordsjællands Hospital,

Hillerød, Denmark

It actually went
really well.

It was like walking into a different world, like a secure bubble. The breathing guidance helped – I almost start doing the breathing techniques now just by looking at the wall. Unbelievable. You relax and experience the movement.”

- Hospital patient

Customer challenge

Nordsjællands Hospital cares about new mothers. To make the painful experience of childbirth easier and less stressful, the institute investigated ways to improve the labor process using light and sound. Collaborating with Philips and Wavecare, the hospital developed two special delivery rooms.

The right lighting

The new delivery rooms were developed as part of a PPI (Public-Private-Innovation Project). It was hoped that by using calming light and music, stress during childbirth would be reduced. In addition, the installation was designed to help women with their breathing patterns by projecting light visualizations that they could follow.

"The department wanted to remove the 'hospital experience' from the delivery rooms", says Bjørn Wennerwald, project manager at Wavecare. "We aimed to create a spa-like experience and felt that Philips' new luminous textiles would contribute to this. This meant it was time for the project to also draw on Philip's extensive knowledge of dynamic lighting.”

The sensory experiences have been divided into three phases that all combine colored light, calming sounds and moving images. They consist of a welcome program, a breathing program and a relaxation program. With the new systems in place, women are finding it easier to relax and focus on their breathing. "I cannot think of any women in labor who have not been really happy with the experience", said midwife Mette Monsrud.

Not only do the audiovisual systems calm mothers during labor, but hospital staff also report feeling less stressed. All the LED luminaires have low energy consumption, and their 50,000 hour service life minimizes maintenance and material costs.